The licenses, which come with a purportedly RFID-blocking sleeve, require more stringent proof of identity and an extra $30 to obtain. In exchange, they will serve as your passport for limited international travel by land or sea, but not air.

(via Slashdot)

The new rules under consideration by the Mayor’s Office of Theater, Film, and Broadcasting (the entity which coordinates and issues permits for film and television production) include requiring any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour (including setup and breakdown time) to acquire a photography permit and $1,000,000 in liability insurance. The regulation would also apply to any group of five or more people who would be using a tripod for more than ten minutes, including setup and breakdown time.

A campaign for photographers’ rights has been going on over at pictureny.org. There you can read more about the proposed rules, and learn of more ways in which you can help.

Local photographer Sean Reiser has posted a decent sample letter to the Mayor’s office.

Coverage:
Slashdot
Indymedia
Google News

If the current plan obtains full financing, it will eventually include a network of 3000 public and private security cameras, as well as automatic license plate readers.

Coverage:
New York Times @ CNET
Google News
Slashdot